The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1887-07-19

weeks, I'll be much in ye're favor. SO
I will, PLACE God"
Mike ushexed his visitor to the door
with sorrowful heart. When he had
closed the door he asked his wife how
much money there was in the stock
ing. Mrs. Finn poured the contents
of the wooden safe out upon the table.
They counted the money over care
fully several times to be sure that no
mistake had been made, but the most
rigid calculation failed to make the
total amount more than five dollars
and twelve cents.
Mickey was informed of the state OF
affairs, and he became very thought
full The idea never occurred to the
elder Firms that Mickey would be OF
any service in this financial strait, but
Mickey had ideas of his own On that
question. although he said nothing
about them. Before going to bed he
asked his mother to mend a rent in his
trousers leg, and, contrary TO his usual
custom, he kissed his mother before
retiring for the night. The next morn.
ing he left the house before dawn,
closing the door softly after him, SO
that his parents were not awakened.
Two hours later he had hired out as
driver on the canal at ten dollars per
month. He had not told his parents
Of his intention, because he knew they
would not hear of his entering on such
mental pursuit.
'Canalling is good enough for them
az hasn't brains enough to do somethin'
else; but as for my Mickey, he's going
t be ayther a doctor or lawyer, i
don't care which; shure tn both o thin
wears b'aver hats"
AS was to have been expected there
was great excitement in the Finn shan
ty when the discovery of Mickey's flight
was made. What object he could have
in going away was more than his par
ents could guess. 1t seemed like q
wanton desertion to his mother, al
though she hardly believed such an act
possible, especially after his affection
ate manner of the previous evening.
Two weeks had gone by and no tidings
were heard from the missing boy, al
though he had made one trip to Homes
dale, and, returning to Cooney Island
in the evening, had looked in the win
dow and seen his father and mother
sitting beside the old familiar table.
He saw his mothers apron lifted up to
her eyes several times, and felt such 3
big lump in his throat that he had to
run away for fear of numbering. How
he got away he hardly knew, but after
running a mile he regained control OF
himself, and the next morning he had
started on another trip. in the mean
time the Firms had been served with 8
notice from a lawyer that unless the
thirty dollars was paid by May 6 the
COW would be seized and sold. Mike
and his wife denied themselves even the
luxury of butter; their potatoes were
simply sailed, and Mike, for one long.
weary week, went without tobacco, be-
cause. as he said:
'Ivery pinny'll help t save tn cow.
If that rascal Mickey o mire had
stayed home stead O. runnin' AVA, he
might iv helped little by carryin'
coal an doin' an odd job or two. Tn
Good Book tells tn truth whin it SAYS
a wicked b'y's like rotton tooth. It's
mighty rough whin by goes back
on his ould man, tho"
But Mrs. Finn did not believe in the
wickedness imputed to her son by his
father. She thought he would come
back and explain his absence in sat
isfactory manner. When the fateful
day arrived the Firms had raised twenty
dollars. This sum had been saved by
the most rigid economy, and Mrs. Finn
had borrowed two dollars of that
amount from Mrs. Donnelly, the cham
pion quilter of Cooney Island. Still
there was ten dollars to be gotten, and
Mr.. and Mrs. Finn took a sorrowful
leave of the cow, for the sheriff was to
come at ten o'clock.
Mickey had arrived at Eddyville on
the morning of the sale day. He knew
that the cows salvation depended on
him, but he was unable to get his
money until nine o'clock. He had
been no less self-denying than his
parents during the previous month,
and so his wages were intact-ten dol
lars in one dollar bills. He carefully
pinned these inside his red flannel
He had ridden the mule every day
during the past month, had stolen hay
for her and appropriated cabbage
leaves until the animal had come to
have an absorbing affection for him. or
the tid-bits which he gave her. Before
mounting her he fshed a carrot
out of his trousers pocket and stood
impatiently by while she ate it. Then
he jumped on her back and called on